5 transport offices planned for tourists

KATHMANDU: Bhairahawa, Birgunj, Kakarbhitta, Mahendranagar, and Nepalgunj will now have special transport offices for tourists visiting Nepal through land.

“Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011 Committee will establish transport offices at five different cities in the border area in coordination with the Ministry of Transportation and the private sector partners,” said Dhurba Narayan Shrestha, Member of NTY 2011 Working Committee.

“They will provide single-window solutions for all the needs of a tourist,” he said, adding that NTY 2011 has targeted three lakh tourists by land during the year. Bhairahawa, Birgunj, Kakarbhitta, Mahendranagar and Nepalgunj are the main entry points for arriving by land.

“During our meeting with the Secretary at the Ministry of Transport Management, we have given assurance of cooperation in the matter. So, we are going to work for the development of transport offices at the five different places,” Shrestha added.

With an aim to bringing more Indian tourists and granting proper facilities during their visit to Nepal, the NTY 2011 Committee is preparing for single-window facilitation centres in the border areas. Through this, tourists visiting Nepal via land route can avail Immigration, Custom and Transport facilities from a single point.

Recently, the Department of Transport Management and Traffic Police agreed to provide special stickers for tourist vehicles. “The Committee is designing a special sticker for tourist vehicles entering Nepal,” he said. The stickers will be given to tourist vehicles coming from India. Along with the target to welcome three lakh tourist by land, NTY 2011 Committee is also planning to introduce special tourist buses at the border points. The tourism year has a target to bring home one million tourists, three lakh tourists by land and the remaining by air.